


Nipton Lottery

by Wittypseudhere



Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Caesar's Legion, Canon-Typical Violence, Death, Explicit Language, F/M, Followers of the Apocalypse (Fallout), Nipton (Fallout), Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:01:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25948501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wittypseudhere/pseuds/Wittypseudhere
Summary: A Non Cannon following of an original character's encounter with the Legion.
Relationships: Vulpes Inculta/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Alina woke to the sound of a energy weapon and returning fire. Throwing on the first coat she saw on she stepped out of the ruined trailer to find a gun in her face. A second man moved past her rousting the sleeping form inside to follow along as well.

Alina walked with her hand on her sister Belle's shoulder quiet assurances whispered as they along with the residences of Nipton were herded to the center of the town. Fucking Legion bastards. How were the operating so close to the Mojave Outpost? It was quite disheartening, and proof to Alina that she had been right in her arguments with her Father on the NCR spreading too thin to actually protect the Mojave. 

As late as it was all thoughts of sleep had been ripped from Alina's mind. They should not even have been here on this night. A nasty dust storm and Belle stepping in a mole rat hole twisting her ankle pretty badly had slowed them down enough that they had to stop here for the night. 

Looking around Alina noted that the Legion was outnumbered. Even just the population of Nipton would have had numbers on their side, added into the mix were some escaped criminals as well. She leaned in slightly trying to catch the attention of the convict next to her.

"Hey. Listen, if we get enough people to all act at once-"

"Shut the fuck up."

The man turned away apparently thinking that keeping his head down and complying would save him. Coward.

A man with a dog helmet stood on the stairs of the town hall flanked by other legionaries. 

"This is a wicked place, debased and corrupt. You have served all comers, profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion. You offered to turn against those you sheltered in this town for a pittance. Disloyalty along with your other crimes makes this town of whores a fitting place for the Legion to teach a lesson."

The man stared down a man in the front of the crowd as he started to pace. The legionaries to his sides approached the captive audience passing small pieces of paper out.

"When Legionaries are disloyal, some are punished, the others made to watch. We will be determining who is punished and how with a lottery this evening. "

Alina kept a tight grip on Belle's shoulder with one hand the other gripping her ticket. Her heart was pounding so hard and she was so focused on the ticket that whatever the man said next was lost in the roar of her mind. A number was called and a man stepped forward. He was swiftly made to kneel and beheaded. 

"Don't look Belle. Keep your eyes on your ticket. Do not watch."

Alina squeezed Belle's shoulder as she leaned in close to whisper instruction as her own eyes locked on the man in charge who continued to rattle off numbers. Some people hesitantly stepped up, others were pushed by what had to have been a neighbor and dragged forward by legionaries. Some begged, some swore, but all were beheaded after being forced to their knees.

It felt like the decapitations were going to go on forever when the man started to speak again.

"Those were the lucky losers, this next batch of drawings will make up a bulk of the lottery."

The man who stepped forward at his number was dragged to the ground from what Alina could see from where she stood. He reappeared in her line of sight soon enough as telephone pole the man had been crucified against was lifted and set into position.

Again the pattern started, numbers were called and people were 'punished'. There was a pause when dog headed man smiled at the man who's ticket had been called.

"Mayor Steyn, there is something special waiting for you."

The mayor begged and pleaded as he was dragged to the pile of flaming tires near by. His pleas turned to screams as he was thrown into the flames and forced to remain in them by a pair of legionaries who lashed out with their machetes when he tried to escape the fire.

Three more crucifixions later and Belle almost collapsed. Looking down to the ticket that had fallen from Belle's fingers Alina's heart dropped as she saw it was the number that had just been called. One of the legionaries approached and Alina placed herself between the man and Belle.

"No!"

The man reached for his gun and Alina turned looking to the man who stood on the steps watching with little interest if his expression was any indication. Alina stared at him her voice raising to be heard over all the goings on around them.

"I will trade my ticket for hers."

Vulpes Inculta gestured to the legionaries nearby and so the pair of women were brought to the front of the crowd. The one who had called out met his gaze with tear filled eyes.

"My ticket has not been called yet, if it is better I will trade her," She hushed Belle as she tried to interrupt. "You still get the same number of people in your lesson. Please."

The pair bore a certain similarity. More than likely related in some way. The one who spoke up was not as tall, and more lithe than the woman she stood before. Her hair was darker as well closer to black than brown. Beyond that from where he stood the finer details of their features were lost. He slowly made his way down the steps stopping before the women.

"You are wearing that coat inside out."

The comment was so casual that it made Alina's stomach flip flop. She shrugged out of the coat and got it right side out before sliding it back on. To be honest she had not even noticed. The man's gaze was hard to follow behind the dark goggles but Alina felt as if he was inspecting her closely. She crossed her arms touching the patch on the arm of her coat. It was her Follower's Lab coat, that had not even sunk in until now.

"You would die, slowly. In her place?"

The man nodded in Belle's direction his icy voice sounding perhaps faintly amused.

"Yes."

The lack of hesitation drew a faint grin and Vulpes extended his hand taking Alina's ticket. He turned to get back to his place on the steps.

"Man do not do anything for that Bitch!"

The criminal from before spoke up pushing his way closer to the front of the group.

"She was trying to plan to attack you!"

Vulpes turned back to look at the woman his head tilted slightly to the side.

"You are outnumbered. Just because everyone else was too chickenshit to notice that there was a chance to beat you doesn't make me blind."

Vulpes laughed at that an giving Alina a chilling grin went back to calling numbers as he held her ticket in his hand. She kept her eyes fixed on him as the lottery continued holding Rose's hand tightly. Slowly the size of the group dwindled to a handful and the man approached again. He took the ticket from each person that remained in one hand and those to be drawn he held in another. He looked to Belle and gave a nod in the direction of the road leaving town.

"Go."

Alina turned on her heel throwing her arms around Belle as fresh tears come to both their eyes. 

"It's okay Belle. It is alright, go. Go and do not look back. I love you, I love you so much. Tell Mom and Dad I love them too. You have to go, you have a kid to look out for. I will be with you no matter what, I promise."

The rapid whispers Alina said to her sister ended with both her hands on Belle's cheeks wiping away her tears. She pressed a kiss to Belle's forehead her hands drifting to give the taller woman's shoulders a squeeze.

"Go on."

At Alina's urging Belle turned running from the ruined town. Wiping her own tears on the sleeve of her coat Alina turned back to the legionaries. She felt like she was going to be sick if she was being honest but her sister was going to be safe and that was all that mattered.

"You tried to throw this woman to the wolves, did you hope that would benefit you in some way?" Vulpes looked to the convict that had spoken out his arms crossed at the wrist behind his back. "Such cowardice can not be rewarded. Like the Mayor of this degenerate place you shall burn."

Alina stood her arms crossed tightly as she embraced herself staring at the ground while the fates of those around her were sealed. Some ended up enslaved, one was hobbled his legs beaten to the point that Alina was not sure that he would be able to walk again unless he was immediately treated.

"You are a member of the Followers of the Apocalypses?" 

Alina lifted her head at stared at the man before her.

"I was given the chance to join the Followers. I worked with them in Freeside, I was willing to help and a quick study. I am not quite to the skill of the doctors they have, but I learned a lot."

The man removed the dark goggles he wore and met Alina's gaze. His blue eyes stared deep into her green ones.

"You tried to incite the the convicts and residences to turn against myself and my men and spoke out for another. That someone with ties to an organization like the Followers would be the only one is a surprise. What is your name?"

"Alina Daniels."

"Alina... I am Vulpes Inculta of Caesar's Legion. I serve as the Legion's greatest Frumentarii. You are different than what I expected to find here, you perhaps could serve a purpose. As such I will not have you lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates. Cross your hands at the wrist."

Alina hesitated a moment before complying. She gave a low hiss when he tightly bound her wrists. The motion was clearly practiced as a complex looking knot was swiftly complete and a tug confirmed she would not be able to slip out of the bonds easily.

Turing on his heel Vulpes began to walk away followed by some of the legion dogs. One of the men gave her a hard shove to the middle of her back.

"Move Profligate."

Surrounded by legionaries Alina walked in the opposite direction her sister had fled. As she headed away with the men she could not help but wonder this would have been better if she had ended up on a cross. Who was to say what purpose Vulpes thought she could serve.


	2. Chapter 2

Alina was not sure how long they had been moving, the only thing that she could think about was that the legionaries had set a brutal pace. She was not out of shape by any means, she had often went from one side of Freeside to the other and back again more than one time a day. Keeping pace with these men and dogs was far harder. Her lungs burning Alina stopped leaning against a large near by rock.

"Move Profligate!"

Alina drew a deep breath ignoring the Legionary, her silence met with muzzle of his varmint rifle pressing to her head. 

"Move!"

"Give me a minute."

The stock of the rifle slammed into Alina knocking her to the ground. She closed her eyes half expecting that the man was going to shoot her and just be done with things. She heard the clearing of a throat and footsteps opening her eyes and looking she saw Vulpes Inculta standing before her. He had shed the dog head and goggles at some point and she just must have missed it. Her head dropped and she took a slow breath and Vulpes waved for the Legionaries to continue one.

Vulpes took her by the arm an pulled her to her feet. He opened a bottle of water and pressed it into her bound hands before he started after his men at a much slower pace.

Alina greedily drained half the bottle as she walked alongside the man watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"More is expected of you than simply keeping pace. Not meeting expectations will result in consequences that you will not enjoy. Understand?"

The pause must have seemed to long to the man as his eyes flicked to Alina with a cold stern look. Her nod did not change the disapproving stare either. 

"Yes."

Satisfied for the moment Vulpes' eyes went back to look ahead of them and they walked on in silence for some time. She regained control over her breathing, no longer gasping for air and finished her water. Occasionally she watched Vulpes he lingered in her peripheral vision. He looked far less like the monster he had shown himself to be now. The helmet and goggles had added an air of mystery. Without them he looked like he could have been any man that had put on a legion uniform. Probably why he was a spy, he would not stand out most places if he just changed the way he dressed.

The Legionaries ahead suddenly seemed to be in good spirits. As they caught up to the rest of the group Alina understood why. There was another group of Legionaries that had ran into those that had raided Nipton. When they rejoined the group Vulpes walked away to talk with one of the new men. Looking them over Alina noticed there was a woman with them. She seemed to be in a similar position, a prisoner of the Legion. 

A discussion was made and the two groups decided to camp together for the night and some of the men set about making camp. The other woman was brought forward and Alina was forced back to back with her and they were tied together. Letting the men busy themselves first Alina started to speak quietly.

"What is your name?"

"Stella. Yours?"

"Alina. Where are you from?"

"Ranger Station Charlie. Legion wiped it out, I got caught."

"I was in Nipton, stopped there and got caught in a raid."

There was a long pause and the Ranger's voice was even quieter. So much so that even back to back Alina had to strain to hear her.

"Are you able to run or fight?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll signal you when it's time."


End file.
